Telephone answering device



Nov. 9, 1926. 1,606,560

J. L. COLLINS TELEPHONE ANSWERING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nova 9 9 R926. LfiQfifiGU J. L. COLLENS TELEPHONE ANSWERING DEVICE Filed Sept. 27. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwuantoa; James L. [a/Mw Nnv, 9 1926,

J. L. COLLINS TELEPHONE ANSWERI NG DEVICE Filed Sept. 27, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheec 3 Lighfing Power 61am may;

Jame; L. dbl/ms" Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES Janus LUTHER COLLINS, or WAGO, 'rnxas.

TELEPHONE ANSWERING DEVICE.

Application filed September 27, 1924. -Serial No. 740;!621. I I

My invention relates to machines for automatically answering a telephone and has for its object to provide a reliable and effective construction of machine adapted to be operated by electric light or similarsource of electric power.

When my telephone answering machine is installed with a telephone station, that station can be called and will reply automatical 151 to give any message previously determined upon; and, upon completing the message, the machinewill automatically return to its set or starting position. The machine is intended to handle the calls of a telephone station during the absence of an operator and will usually be arranged to tell the calling party when the operator will return.

The particular objects of the invention are to provide a phonograph arranged to actuate a telephone transmitter and a mechanism for controlling the phonograph adapted to be set in motion by the ringing of the tele: phone bell. After being set in motion, the machine is arranged to reproduce its message and then shut off and return to its starting position.

With these objects and other objects hereinafter described in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an interior front elevation of the answering machine,

Figure 2 isan interior side elevation of the answering machine, with a section taken on line 2-'-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial rear elevation showing a telephone transmitter and its: location in connection with the answering machine,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a telephonetransmitter with the sound tube from the phonograph applied, to the mouthpiece.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a box or cabinet adapted to contain the machine which comprises a phonographic record cylinder 2, a reproducer 3 and an electric driving motor 4 together with the necessary mechanical and electrical connections! A horizontal supporting plate 5 is secured to the sides of the cabinet and vertical supporting members 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 for supporting the mechanism are secured to the horizontal supporting plate.

Record cylinder 2 is mounted on'a shaft 12 carried by supports 7 and 10 and is ar-- ranged-to be rotated'by a pulley 13 also on shaft 12. The electric motor 4 drives a shaft 16 upon which is mounted a gear (Fig. 2).

Gear 15 meshes with a gear 17 to drive a shaft 14 and gear 17 meshes with a gear 18;

to drive'a shaft 19. Shafts 14, 16 and 19 are supported by the membersS, 9 and 11. A pulley"20 is mounted on shaft 14 .and abelt runs on this pulley and on pulley 13 so as to drive the shaft 12 and record cylinder 2. Belt 21 is kept under tension by an ,idler pulley 22 mounted on an arm 25 pivoted. at

23 and kept under pressure bya 'spring24.

Shaft 19 has mounted thereon a centrifugal device arranged to raise the vertical rod 27 and thereby raise the telephone receiver hook 26 shown in Figure 3. This centrifugal device comprises a fixed collar 28 having secured thereto an end of each of a pair of spring .strips 29 provided with weights 30 and a slidable collar 31 to which the other ends of spring strips 29 are secured. Gollar 31 is provided with a washer flange 32 against w ich bears the rounded end of an elbow arm 34 which is ivotally mounted at 35 on the member 11. l'llbow arm 34 is operatively connected to the vertical rod 27 by the pivot 36. It will be clear that when the.

electric motor is running the centrifugal force acting on weights 30 will throw them outward and so as to cause collar 31 to move toward collar 28 and thereby actuate elbow arm34 and rod 27 to raise the receiver hook 26. v Shaft 12, which carries the record cylin'der, also carries a gear 37 which meshes with and drives a gear 38 mounted on a stub shaft 39 secured in member 7. Gear 38 drives gears 40 and 42, ear 42 being arranged to rotate a threaded carriageshaft 43 and gear 40 beingarranged torotate a threaded carriage return shaft 41. Carriage shaft 43 is supported by members 7 and 10 and return shaft 41 is supported by members 6 and 11, members 8 and 9 being cut away where necessary. 7

A smooth. cylindrical, non-rotating shaft 44 is supported by members 7 and 10 in front of the record cylinder 2. Slidably and pivotally mounted on the shaft 44 is the reproducer holder member or carriage .45 which is provided with a bearing block 46 adapted to slide and pivot on shaft 44. The lower part of holder member has secured thereto the threaded 'half block 47 adapted to engage with the threaded shaft 43. Also secured to the lower parts-of member 45 18 a resilient hook shaped member 48 terminating in a threaded portion adapted to engage with the threads 49 cut on shaft 41.

Bearing block 46 carries a downwardly extending flat lever 50 which is mounted on a short shaft 51. Shaft 51 is rotatable in block 46 but is normally held by a spring 52 so that lever 50 is held vertically downward. A threaded block 53 which carries a striker stud 54 is mounted on and rotates with threaded shaft 43, a set screw being used to hold block 53 at any desired position. A small wedge shaped or conical peg 55 may be mounted at any desired position in holes provided inthe plate 5. This peg 55 acts,

as a tripfor the lever 50.

When the phonographic machine is ready to be started, reproducer holder member is nearer the pulley (13) end of the record cylinder 2 than the position shown in Figure 1. When the electric motor 4 is started and record cylinder is rotated, threaded block 47 is in contact with shaft 43 and thereby moves the reproducer holder member 45 acrossv on shaft 44. As member 45 moves, the reproducer 3 is moved with its needle in contact with the record cylinder and the record or message reproduced.

When the member 45 has moved far enough, lever first contacts with peg or trip and then slips past whence it is thrown by spring 52 into the path of movement of striker stud 54 on block 53. Thus stud 54 which causes the reproducer holder member 45 to pivot onshaft 44 so as to raisethe needle of reproducer 3 from the record cylinder.

When the reproduoer needle is raised, it is held up by means shown in Figures 2 and 3. Reproducer holder member 45 extends over and back of record cylinder 2 as shown at 56, and carries atits end a slidable carriage control pin 57 which is acted upon by the tension spring 58. A- plate 58 is secured to plate 5 and is parallel to the axis of record cylinder 2. Plate 58 is provided with a diagonal face 59 which serves to push the pin 57 outward when reproducer holder member 45 moves from the pulley end ofrecord cylinder 2 toward the end near the receiver hook operating rod 27. When the reproducer has been raised after reproducing its message, part 56 and pin 57 are raised and pin 57 is pulled inward by spring 58 and slips over the smooth top edge 60 of plate 58. Thus, reproducer holder member 45 isheld up so that it can be returned to its starting position near the pulley end of record cylinder 2.

When reproducer holder member 45 is raised and held up, threaded block 47 (Fig. 1) is drawn inward out of engagement with threaded shaft 43 and hook shaped member 48 is moved so'that itsend' engages with threaded shaft 41, thereby. moving the reproand thus cuts off the power and stops mo- I tor 4. v

The electrical circuit is shown diagrammatically in Figure 5 and comprises a starting switch which is arranged to be closed by the telephone ringer current through condenser 69 and ringer coils 66 acting on armature 67 which is pivoted at 70 and is operativelv connected to one of the contacts of switch 65 pivoted at 71. Switch 63 is the running and stop switch which cuts bit the current to motor 4. Switch 65 is arranged to be held open or closed by any 'Figure 1. When the answering machine is ready for operation, both switches 65 and 63 will be open. Upon the ringing of the telephone bell. ringer coils 66 draw armature 67 over which operates the link 72 to push over an upwardly bent portion 73 of the lower contact of switch 65 pivoted at 71. The "double acting spring (not shown) then holds the starting switch closed. This closes the circuit to motor 4, a rheostat 68-preferably being included in this circuit. As motor 4 starts, record cylinder 2 is rotated and reproducer holder member 45 starts to move and as the end of piece 56 moves from ofi the contact breaking pin 61, the running and stop switch 63 is allowed to close.

When motor 4 runs, the centrifugal device 28. 29, 30, 31, as before described, operates to raise the telephone receiver hook 26 and thereby makes the transmitter of telephone 74 ready to transmit the message which comes from reproducer 3 through flexible tube 76 and tube 77 which is fitted to the mouth piece 75 of the telephone 74 (Figure 4).

As the reproducerholder member or carriage moves along shaft 44, reproduce!" 3 is moved slowly with its needle in contact with record cylinder 2 and thereby reproduces the message. Just before the message is completed and lever 50 (Fig. 1) is about to be struck by stud 54, a small projection 78 secured to the lower part of hook shaped member 48 engages the upwardly extending part 73 of the lower contact arm of switch 65 and the sWitch'is thrown open. Then the carriage 45 is thrown up and-returned to its starting POSltiOll' as before described, the

switch 63 being opened when the lower end of member 56 of carriage 45 drops on contact breaking pin 61. Both switches 63 and 65 are now open, motor 4 stops running, receiver hook operating rod 27 and receiver hook 26 are allowed to drop and the answering machine is ready to answer another'call upon another ringing of the telephone.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a device for answering telephone calls a phonograph record and means for rotatin it, a reproducer mounted to be movable ongitudinally of the record and to be swung into and out of contact therewith, a feed screw and means carried by the reproducer for engagement therewith when the reproducer is in contact with the record,

A means for rotating the feed screw and means for lifting the reproducer out of contact with the record comprising a striker stud carried by and rotating with-the feed screw and a lever carried by and depending from the reproducer adapted to be brought by the longitudinal movement thereof into the path Y of movement of the striker stud, a spring normally holding a lever arm in vertical position and means for engaging the end of the lever to retard it to thereby put the spring under tension so that when released it will be impelled into position to be struck by the striker stud,

,2; In a device for answering telephone calls, a cylinder phonograph record and means for rotating 1t, a reproducer mounted to be moved lon itudinally and to be swun into and out 0 contact therewith, a fee screw and means carried by the reproducer for engagement therewith when the reproducer is in contact with the record, means for rotating the feed screw, means for lifting the reproducer out of contact with the record carried by the feed screw, a return feed screw and means carried by the reproducer for engagement therewith when the reproducer is lifted out of contact with the record, means for rotating the return feed screw, and means for holding the reproducer out ofcontact with the record during the return movement, a motor for drivin the mechanism in circuit with a source 0 current means operated by the telephone ringer for closing said circuit and means operated by the-return movement of the reproducer for breaking the circuit.

JAMES LUTHER COLLINS. 

